Should the Buffalo Bills re-sign Devin Singletary?
Since being drafted by the Buffalo Bills 74th overall in the 2019 NFL Draft, Devin “Motor” Singletary has rushed for 3,151 rushing yards while reaching the end zone 16 times over 61 games. The story of Singletary’s four-year career has been written through the lens of mediocrity, however, the Buffalo Bills rushing attack has relied predominantly on quarterback Josh Allen’s production since 2020.
Singletary’s shortcomings could fall on the offensive scheme, and part of the blame should be credited to lackluster offensive line play throughout his tenure, but it’s evident that Motor lacks the vision, size and breakaway speed of an elite NFL running back.
Singletary showed promise throughout his rookie campaign in 2019, totaling 775 yards on 151 carries, averaging a career high 5.1 yards per carry. Despite missing four games, Singletary pulled an impressive workload in a run-first offense experiencing some minor growing pains before Josh Allen’s takeover in 2020. Singletary’s workload and production took a step back in 2020 with 156 rushing attempts and 687 yards to show for as the offense transitioned into an air raid juggernaut – since then, Motor is yet to break 900 rushing yards in a season or 5.0 yards per carry.
Buffalo Bills need to find a way to create a running game outside of Josh Allen
Ken Dorsey and the Buffalo Bills offense must find a way to create a legitimate running threat in order to complement Josh Allen and the passing attack. While Singletary is capable of complementing a split backfield with James Cook, the Bills are better off financially passing the torch to Cook / Hines and taking a gamble on a mid-round draft pick in 2023.
Some notable running backs selected in the 2nd-7th round since 2020 include D’Andre Swift, Jonathan Taylor, A.J. Dillon, Rhamondre Stevenson, Breece Hall, Kenneth Walker III, Isiah Pacheco, and more. There are hidden gems in every draft, it’s up to the Bills front office to find a young weapon in 2023.
With a projected $-20M in cap space, according to Spotrac, money must be spent in priority this offseason, the true question to ask is whether or not Devin Singletary is replaceable. Considering Singletary will likely earn $5M+ / year in free agency, not only is he replaceable, it’s possible for the Bills to upgrade at the running back position through the draft while taking on a significantly cheaper contract.
